Luo Youdu stood on the mountain ridge and looked at the Feishui under his feet, his brows furrowed.
Pan Mei was also silent.
"Let's go!"
After a long while, Luo Youdu said something and led the horse down the mountain.
It has been a month since the last military meeting, and more than 200,000 soldiers have gathered near Shouzhou. They are either cutting down trees to make siege equipment, or carrying huge rocks and collecting sand. They are very busy.
Luo Youdu had nothing to do and led Pan Mei and Zhang Qiong to explore the terrain on the spot.
Fast horses and light rides travel between the major river systems of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers.
Unless you come to Jianghuai in person, you have no idea how terrible the Jianghuai water system is.
The crisscrossing waterways are like a spider web, extending in all directions.
Both sides of the waterway are either swamps or covered with weeds and reeds. It is now a month into spring and it is not very visible. In a few months, once these weeds and reeds grow taller, they will become a natural barrier.
"We must form a navy army, otherwise this battle will not go on."
Luo Youdu realized that he had underestimated the Jianghuai water system.
He always felt that the navy was of little use in fighting the Jianghuai River. After capturing the Jianghuai River, he would either form a navy in Chaohu or capture Jiangling and form a navy in Dongting Lake, using the navy against the navy to cope with the natural dangers of the Yangtze River.
When we went to the Jianghuai River for on-site inspection, we suddenly discovered that most of the Jianghuai water system is inaccessible to large ships, but boats can pass through it at will.
A surprise attack team of more than a thousand people can transport troops and horses to any place at any time through the water network, and can also launch attacks from anywhere.
Such criss-crossing tributaries are difficult to guard against. Without the assistance of the navy, it would be too difficult to attack the Yangtze River and Huaihe River.
After descending from Jiangjun Ridge, we walked along the Feishui River towards the Zhou Army Camp.
Seemingly feeling too bored, Zhang Qiong randomly searched for words and said, "Is this Feishui the Feishui that my brother mentioned? Is this how my brother got his name?"
Luo Youdu laughed and said: "What nonsense, but Feishui should be that Feishui. My father came to have a son when he was old, and he had high expectations for me. He is from Yangzhou, and Xie Xuan was the prime minister of Guangling. This Guangling is now Yangzhou, about
His legend will last forever. My father hopes that I can be like Xie Xuan, a versatile scholar in both civil and military affairs, and able to serve my family and country. So he named me Youdu, after Xie Xuan's nickname is Youdu!"
"Oh!" Zhang Qiong asked again: "What's the nickname for eldest brother? We heard that many people have it."
Luo Youdu said: "My cousin usually comes from my parents or teachers. My mother took me north to join my parents' family. When I arrived in Kaifeng, I found out that my parents' family had been killed by the Khitan. My mother died when I was less than fifteen years old. The world is not so good.
If you pay more attention to it, it will be good if you can survive. I am so used to it that I am too lazy to take it myself."
Just as he was talking, the military camp was approaching.
Shi Shouxin came face to face with a big man with a beard.
"Brother Luo, I'm looking for you!"
Luo Youdu greeted him with a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Invite me to drink?"
He always thought that drinking was not allowed in the army. During the Western Expedition, because he was the supervisor of the army, Wang Jing and Han Lingkun thought it was a new military order issued by Guo Rong, so they drank secretly in hiding.
It wasn't until later that I realized that in these troubled times, the military regulations were so strict. Who would buy into the arrogant and brave generals?
Drinking alcohol is allowed in the military, but drunkenness is not allowed to cause trouble. If you lose a battle or miss a job because of drinking, your crime will be increased.
As long as things don't go wrong and the battle isn't lost, it's not so strict that you are not allowed to drink alcohol.
Shi Shouxin said: "This is a small matter, the main thing is to introduce you to a good brother..." He pointed to the bearded man next to him and said: "Han Chongyun, turned out to be the deputy general of my cavalry battalion, and was later transferred to
He joined the army in front of the palace. He went on an expedition with Xianggong Li before and made great achievements. Now he is the bodyguard, commander, and commander of the army, and his position is higher than mine."
Han Chongyun had a rough appearance, but he rarely understood the details of etiquette. He dismounted and bowed, "General, I have met you, sir. Thank you, sir, for interceding for my eldest brother." He wanted to bow three times.
Shi Shouxin whipped him gently with his horse whip: "What do you call me sir? I call you brother. What's wrong? If you get promoted, my brother is no longer your brother."
Han Chongyun hurriedly avoided and said: "Isn't this the first time we have met..."
When he dismounted, Luo Youdu also dismounted and stepped forward and said: "This is not the first time. We met when we were in Kaifeng Mansion. They are all acquaintances, no need to be polite. Brother Han, I heard that you went to investigate Liu Yanzhen's navy.
His whereabouts are gone. How is it going? Is there any result?"
Han Chongyun said: "I just reported the results to the officials, but I didn't encounter any traces. However, I found traces left by them near Hongze Lake. It seems that the marks left them only three to five days ago."
"Three to five days!"
Luo Youdu recited a sentence, came to the horse and took out the map from the horse bag.
The current Hongze Lake is not the fourth largest freshwater lake that is familiar to later generations. It was during the Song Dynasty that the Yellow River changed its course. The Yellow River water migrated through Sishui below Huaiyin and took the lower reaches of the Huaihe River into the sea. As a result, the Huaihe River lost its access to the sea and east of Xuyi
The water trapped in the lake expanded the original small lake into Hongze Lake.
Today's Hongze Lake is only one of the small lakes in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River, surrounded by Fuling Lake, Pofujian, Nidun Lake, Wanjia Lake, etc.
The entire water network in Huainan is like a spider web, and Hongze Lake is located in the center on the left side of the water network. If necessary, they can appear anywhere they want.
But Luo Youdu already had an idea in mind as to where they wanted to appear.
Putting the map together, Luo Youdu smiled and said: "Good brother, you have made a great contribution. You and I will have a good chat later, and I will go to the officials to discuss military matters."
Han Chongyun saw that Luo Youdu's speech and behavior were not literate, and he felt very good in his heart. When he heard that he had made great achievements, he was even more happy. He said happily: "Brother Luo, please go, I have a jar of good wine there, later."
Please drink."
Luo Youdu walked quickly towards Guo Rong's tent.
While he was still on the road, he received the news that Guo Rong had summoned him, and he couldn't help but move a little faster.
Arriving at the handsome tent, Luo Youdu found that there was another person in the tent.
He is Zhao Kuangyin, who is burly and tough with dark complexion.
Seeing Luo Youdu enter, Zhao Kuangyin bowed slightly and said hello.
After Luo Youdu met Guo Rong, he also said hello to Zhao Kuangyin.
Guo Rong sat at the top and looked at the two civil and military confidants in front of him who he had single-handedly selected. He said happily: "I just got the news and found the traces of Liu Yanzhen's navy. Then Huangfu Hui's army followed suit."
"Sure enough, as the water level rises, their land and sea reinforcements can no longer stay. I have been studying it over and over this month, and it turns out that Shouzhou is not easy to fight. Now I have an idea. Let Li Chong advance in Shouzhou and Zhang Yongde comes to attack. What do you think?
My most trusted confidant, but when it comes to military achievements, he is still much inferior to those veteran generals."
"Now I will give each of you a chance. Each of you will lead an army and attack Liu Yanzhen and Huangfu Hui respectively. Are you sure you can withstand their attack?"